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Witchcraft accusations against children in Africa

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Witch Children in Africa ...

Witchcraft allegations against children in Africa have received increasing international attention in the first decade of the 21st century. Reports by missionaries, anthropologists, journalists and human rights activists have brought this ancient but now rapidly growing phenomenon to the attention of the world[1]. Recent reports by UNICEF, UNHCR, Save The Children and Human Rights watch[2] have also highlighted the violence and abuse towards children accused of witchcraft in Africa. Accusations of witchcraft in Africa are a very serious matter as the witch is culturally understood to be the epitome of evil and the cause of all misfortune, disease and death. Consequently, the witch is the most hated person in African society and subjected to punishment, torture even death.[3] [4]. The victims of witchcraft accusations in African society have usually been the elderly, the disabled, albinos and anyone who was considered different.[5] In recent years due to the impact of rapid urbanisation, economic decline, as well as the HIV/AIDS pandemic, children have become more and more the victims of witchcraft accusations, especially orphans. Child victims of witchcraft accusations are more vulnerable than adult victims as they cannot defend themselves as they are confronted with physical and psychological abuse from their family and community. Children accused of witchcraft may be subjected to violent exorcism rituals by African Pentecostal and Charismatic pastors who mix Christianity with African witchcraft beliefs. Such exorcism may include incarceration, starvation and being made to drink hazardous substances[6]. In other cases accused children are expelled and end up living on the streets, are trafficked and in some instances they are killed.[7] Interventions until date have been very limited and localised such as the safe houses run by Stepping Stones Nigeria and their partners in Akwa Ibom state in Nigeria, by Bishop Emilio Sumbelelo of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Angola, and by Africa Outreach in Malawi.[8] Nevertheless global awareness of the problem of child witchcraft accusations in Africa is growing as evidenced by the above mentioned UNICEF and UNHCR reports. It is likely that increased global awareness of the problem of child witchcraft accusations in Africa will eventually translate in more initiatives to assist its victims. Nevertheless it is equally important to address the underlying socio-economic, political and environmental factors that contribute to this problem. In the meantime the general population in countries where child witchcraft beliefs are prevalent needs to be made aware that the torture and killing of children is unacceptable which can be done by means of grass-roots awareness and prevention campaigns. Churches and para-church organizations as well as religious leaders need to be engaged in order to convince them to be part of the solution and not part of the problem of witchcraft allegations against children and other vulnerable groups in society. This can be done through awareness campaigns, round-the-table conferences and theological education and reflection. Finally, the judiciary, human rights organizations, civil society, local and national governments need to be brought on board in order to address this scourge.


References

  1. ^ ICN 2009. Independent Catholic News. Angola: Papal envoy calls for end to witch child accusations (July 28, 2009): http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=14678; IRIN 2001. Africa: Child witchcraft allegations on the rise. Accused children end up being attacked, burned, beaten, and sometimes killed (Jul 17, 2010): http://yubanet.com/world/Africa-Child-witchcraft-allegations-on-the-rise.php; Phiri, Isaac 2009. Saving Witches in Kolwezi: Accused of witchcraft by parents and churches, children in the Democratic Republic of Congo are being rescued by Christian activists. In Christianity Today, (September 2009): http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/september/27.62.html. Stepping Stones Nigeria 2007. Supporting Victims of Witchcraft Abuse and Street Children in Nigeria: http://www.humantrafficking.org/publications/593. Van der Meer, Erwin 2011. The Problem of Witchcraft in Malawi, Evangelical Missions Quarterly (47:1, January): 78-85.
  2. ^ Bussien, Nathaly et al. 2011. Breaking the spell: Responding to witchcraft accusations against children, in New Issues in refugee Research (197). Geneva, Switzerland: UNHCR; Cimpric, Aleksandra 2010. Children accused of witchcraft, An anthropological study of contemporary practices in Africa. Dakar, Senegal: UNICEF WCARO. Molina, Javier Aguilar 2006. The Invention of Child Witches in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Social cleansing, religious commerce and the difficulties of being a parent in an urban culture. London: Save the Children; Human Rights Watch 2006. Children in the DRC. Human Rights Watch report, 18 (2).
  3. ^ Mbiti, John 1975. Introduction to African Religion (2nd rev. ed.). Oxford: Heinemann: 117-118, 165.
  4. ^ Moreau, A. Scott 1990. The World of the spirits: A Bible study in the African context. Nairobi:Evangel, p. 116.
  5. ^ BBC News 2010. Malawi plea to free convicted 'witches'. BBC Africa (13 October): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11535155; Byrne, Carrie 2011. Hunting the vulnerable: Witchcraft and the law in Malawi; Consultancy Africa Intelligence (16 June): http://www.consultancyafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=783:hunting-the-vulnerable-witchcraft-and-the-law-in-malawi&catid=91:rights-in-focus&Itemid=296; Goliat, Aubrey J, Frank B. Phiri and Erwin van der Meer 2010. Preliminary findings on the problem of Child Witchcraft Accusations in Malawi. Blantyre, Malawi: Africa Outreach.
  6. ^ Foxcroft, Gary 2008. Interview and documentary: Saving Africa's Witch Children, by Dispatches, Channel 4 (12 November): http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches/episode-guide/series-8/episode-1/ :
  7. ^ See ref. 2
  8. ^ Stepping Stones Nigeria 2011. Current Projects (accessed 4 October 2011): http://www.steppingstonesnigeria.org/current-projects.html; LaFraniere, Sharon 2007. African Children Falsely Accused of Witchcraft: African Crucible: Cast as Witches, Then Cast Out, New York Times (November 15): http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/15/world/africa/15witches.html; 2011 Across Outreach. What we do: http://www.across-outreach.org/What_we_do.html; Africa Outreach 2011, Boy-child victims of witchcraft stigmatization (september 27): http://www.africa-outreach.com

See also

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